Bucks post first road win vs. Timberwolves in eight years

Dec 23, 2006 - 6:54 AM
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- For the second time in less than a
week, Michael Redd and Mo Williams made things miserable for the
Minnesota Timberwolves.

Redd scored 29 points, Charlie Bell tied a season high with 28
and Williams added 26 for the Milwaukee Bucks, who completed a
two-game season sweep over the Timberwolves with a 113-107
triumph.

Milwaukee posted a 108-104 victory over Minnesota last Saturday
behind the hot shooting of Redd and Williams, who scored 28
points apiece. The duo was again on target Friday to lead the
Bucks to their first road win over the Timberwolves since
1998-1999.

"It was a good game a week ago and to get a game on the road
against anybody is good, but Minnesota has one of the best
players in the league," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "It was
a quality win. We can be proud of what we did and enjoy it,
then come back again tomorrow."

"We knew we'd beaten them a week ago, so we knew we could beat
this team," Redd said. "It was just a matter of coming out and
playing hard on the road, even harder than at home."

The game was tied, 102-102, with 3:16 left when Bell gave
Milwaukee the lead with an 18-foot jumper. After Kevin Garnett
sank 1-of-2 free throws, Williams hit a runner with 2:28
remaining for a 106-103 lead.

Garnett cut the deficit to one with a driving layup seven
seconds later before Williams hit a pair of foul shots and a
running jumper, widening the margin to 110-105 with 42 seconds
to left.

Trenton Hassell hit a 15-footer for Minnesota eight seconds
later before Redd helped seal the victory by nailing a jumper
with 11 seconds remaining.

"They were forcing me right," Redd said. "They didn't want me
to go left. When I go right, that's what I do is step back and
hit my shot, so why not pull it out of the hat. Give Minnesota
credit. They came here and played hard tonight."

"All confident players (want the ball late in close games),"
Stotts said. "(Redd) hits the shot and he wanted it. Mo was
very confident in the shots he hit. Every shooter feels like
every shot (is) going in, and if you don't feel like that, it's
probably not going to go in."

"Every day, it's treating it like the first game," Williams
said. "I'm just playing hard and trying to help my team win. I
put a lot of pressure on myself and it's just not me.
Everybody (is) playing at a high level. It's easier when
everybody (is) playing at a high level."

"When they've won, (Williams) has been the difference," Garnett
said. "He (is) the reason they've been able to have success.
Michael Redd takes the bulk of the shots, so you know he (is)
going to have his average, but to me, Mo (is) the reason they're
having this phenomenal year they're having right now."

Mike James tied a season high with 28 points, Garnett added 24
with 14 rebounds and Ricky Davis 23 points for Minnesota, which
lost its fourth straight game.

"We won a couple in a row and got a little complacent with
that," Garnett said. "Whatever it is, we need to refocus as a
team and go back and figure out how we were winning games. When
we were winning, we weren't missing as many assignments as we
are now. We've got to refocus."

Bell hit 7-of-9 shots and scored 17 points in the second
quarter, including eight consecutive for the Bucks during a 14-5
run that gave them a 47-40 lead. He hit two layups and two
jumpers during the burst.

Scoring 22 points in the first half, Bell made the most of his
starting opportunity after Ruben Patterson did not make the trip
with a stomach virus.

"When I found out Ruben wasn't going to come and was a little
under the weather, I knew I had to pick it up," Bell said. "I
wanted to open it up a bit for Mike and Mo and the other guys.
They already have to carry a lot of the offensive load and
tonight I wanted to take a little pressure off them."

Minnesota gradually chipped away and went back in front as Craig
Smith scored five points in a 9-2 spurt - including a dunk and
layup - for an 88-86 edge with nine minutes to go.

"It came down to defense tonight," Minnesota coach Dwane Casey
said. "That's the bottom line. We have gotten away from out
defensive identity. I thought we turned it up in the second
half and did a much better job."